Method of forming selvages on full fashioned knitting machines



March 17, 1942. 5 SACHsENMAlER' 2,276,906

METHOD OF FORMING A S'ELVAGE ON A FULL FASHIONED KNITTING'MACHINE Filed March 29, 1941 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 if/72 T1 2.

jizv eni'ar ERVIN S. SA'CHSENMAIER 5 kzjs a2%rneys March 1-7, 1942-- E. s. SACHSENMAIER 2,276,906

METHOD OF FORMING A SELVAGE ON A FULL FASHIONED KNITTING MACHINE Filed March 29, 1941 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Ta. .lEl.

a V .Zizven'zar 7z" ERVIN s. SACHSENMAIER 3y 7121s ai-il'arne ys March 1942- E. s. SACHSENMAIER 2,276,906

METHOD OF FORMING A SELVAGE ON A FULL FASHIONED KNITTING MACHINE Filed March 29, 1941 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 lhveni ar ERVIN 's. SACHSENMAIER 3y kz's aZ-Zarneys Patented Mar. 1", 1942 azmm METHOD OF FOIbMING SELVAGES ON FULL FASHIONED MA masseuse-ma e Larkwood Silk HosieryMills,

ordele,

CHINES 6a., a ssignorto v. Inc., Charlotte,

N. 0., a corporation of Delaware 3 Application March 29, 1941 Serial No. 385,906

(CI. 66-96) I I 12 Claims.

This invention relates to the knitting of fabric on'flat knitting machines, preferably to theknitting of stockings on full fashioned machines and more particularly to methods of finishing fabrics knit on such machines to prevent unravelling thereof when the last knit course is removed from the needles and it is an object of this invention to provide a nfethod of forming a selvage on the last knit course of a fabric knit on such knitting machines which will prevent the unravelling of the fabric when removed from the needles. It is a further object to provide a method of forming such a selvage which can be carried out by usual operations of the knitting machine and which necessitates only minor changes or alterations in the knitting machine and it is also an object of this invention to -provide a method of forming such a selvage which is applicableto the various portions of a I full fashioned stocking as well as to other fabrics.

In the drawings- Figures 1 to are diagrammatic views showing the arrangement of the loops at various stages in the formation of a selvage in accordance with this invention, Figure 1 showing the loops of the last knit course retained on the needles;

Figure 2 showing the loops of alternate needles transferred to the next needle at the right;

Figure 3 showing all loops transferred two needles to the right and the sinker and divider holding the selvaging thread kinked about one needle to be engaged in the hook thereof;

Figure 4 showing the loop being drawn by the single needle to which the selvaging thread is fed;

Figure 5 showing the loops after a number of stitches of the selvaging thread have been formed;

Figure 6 is a diagrammatic view showing in side elevation the relation of the needle taking the selvaging thread to the sinkers and knockingover bits as the needle is drawn down to take the selvaging thread in its hook after other loops of the selvaging thread have been drawn;

Figures '7, 8 and 9 are views similar to Figure 6 showing different stages in the drawing of the loop;

Figure 10 is a diagrammatic view showing a picot point removing a plurality of loops from a needle preparatory to transferring them;

Figure 11 is a diagrammatic view in side elevation, showing the relation of the thread control point to the thread, needle, sinker and knocking-over bit during the shogging of the picot bar] to the right;

Figure 12 is a diagrammatic view in front ele -Q gi' vation of the elements shown in'Flgur-es 61to 19. I I with the needles and picot points positioned substantiallyas shown in Figure 7; and

Figure 13 isla diagrammatic view illustrating a variation of the method disclosed in Figures In the drawings the invention is shown in connection with a full fashioned knitting machine, only such parts of the machine being shown as are necessary foran understanding-of the invention. Such parts comprise the usual bearded knitting needles n1, n3, n4, n5, tc., mounted for simultaneous operation in the usual needle bar, the usual sinkers 3, 3', 3", etc., and dividers 5, 5, 5', etc., mounted for operation in thesinker head. I, and the knocking-over bits 9. There is also shown a picot bar ll having picot points 13 spaced to engage alternate needles and having at one end, a short presser. point l5 which serves only to press the needle'beard so' as to permit the casting-01f of the loops on the needle and is spaced the distance of two needles from the nearest picot point l3. Intermediate the presser point l5 and the adjacent picot point I3 is a thread control point I! slightly longer:

is then placed in the narrowing position and the picot bar operated to take the loops of alternate needles upon its points and to transfer these loops to one side (to the right inthe drawings) to the next adjacent needles which then have two loops, as shown in Figure 2. In

this transfer the presser point I5 and the thread controlling point ll are inoperative. A yarn carrier l9 preferably feeding an elastic thread 2| is then operated to a position between the sinkers 3 and 3, as shown in Figure 12, and left there throughout the knitting of the selvage. Following the transfer of the loops from the alternate needles, the machine is left in the narrowing position and the sinkers and dividers are pressed forward so that sinker 3 and divider 5 loop the thread 2| about the shank of the needle m, as shown in Figures 3 and 6. As the needles a presser point merely closes the beard of the needle 111 and the continued downward movement of the points and needles causes the loops of the end course which were onthe shank of the needle m to be pressed off as shown in Figures 8 and 9 and the loop of the thread 2| which was taken under the heard of the needle will be drawh through the loops which are pressed off and will remain on the shank of the needle 111 until the next operation.

The loops on the needles 11:, n5, etc., however, are engaged by the picot points I3, as shown in Figure 10, and as the machine continues in the normal narrowing cycle and the points and needles are raised to the shogging point the loops, except those pressed off the needle nrand the loop of the thread 2| on the needle m, are carried by the picot points i3. The 'picot bar H is now shogged two needles (to the right as shown in the drawings) and the loops are transferred back to needles displaced two needles to the right from the needles from which they were taken thus bringing the loops of the last course from the needle m to the needle m' and the loops the picot bar the thread controlling point 11 a number of operations are thereby saved. It is also to be understood that the loops through, which the selvage thread is passed need not be pressed off, but may be transferred to other needles as shown in Figure 13, an arrangement which might be preferable where a pluralityof narrow fabrics are. selvaged at one time, as, for example, heel tabs. It is also to be understood that in the case of a wide fabric selvage threads may be fed at two or. more points so the number of operations in forming a selvage is reduced. In this arrangement it may be found desirable to operate the yarn guide to place the selvage thread in the sinkers each time in place of providing the control point I! for this purpose on the picot bar.

What is claimed is:

1. In a method of forming on a full-fashionedknitting machine a selvage on the loops of an end course of a fabric, the steps of successively engaging said loops on a single needle of said machine and knitting successive loops of a stitch chain on said needle in the loopsof said end course successively placed thereon.

'2. In a method of forming on a full fashionedknitting machine a selvage on the loops of an end course of a fabric, the steps of successively transferring said loops to a needle of said machine, feeding a thread to said needle and knitting' a stitch chain in said loops.

3. In a method of forming on a full fashionedknitting machine a selvage on the loops of an end course of a fabric the steps of successively transferring said loops to a needle of said machine,

carried thereby engages the selvage thread 2| between the sinker head and the needle in in position to be looped about the needle m by the movement of the sinkers and dividers in the continuation of the narrowing cycle which is continued until all loops have been successively transferred to the needle m and have loops of the stitch chain knit of the thread 2| by the needle n1 engaged therein and the selvage thus completed. Except for the first loop drawn of the thread 2|, all loops drawn of this thread are drawn through the previously drawn loop of this thread and the loops of the end course transferred to needle in and except for the first loop of the end course pressed of! from the needle m aloop of the thread 2| is pressed off from the needle 111 each time loops of the end course are pressed off.

While it is stated that the loops of the last course are arranged in groups: of two loops on alternate needles prior to the forming of the selvage, it is to be understood that the groups can be formed of a greater number. of loops or that the selvage can be formed by passing the selvage thread in the manner described through single loops and transferring the loops of the last course but a single needle each time. Grouping of the loops upon the needles is preferred, however, as

knitting a stitch chain on said needle with the successive loops of the stitch chain engaged in the successively transferred loops and pressing of! loops of the stitch chain with the transferred loops.

4. In a method of forming on a full fashionedknitting machine a selvage on the loops of an end course of a fabric, the steps of feeding a thread to a needle of said machine, successively placing loops of the end course on said needle, knitting successive loops of a stitch chain in the loops successively placed on said needle and pressing off the loops successively placed on the needle and the successive loops of the stitch chain.

5. In a method of forming on a full-fashioned knitting machine a selvage on the loops of an end course of a fabric, the steps of successively placing loops of the end course on a needle of said machine, feeding a thread to the needlev while loops of the end course are thereon and removing the loops of the end course from the needle so as to interloop the thread therewith.

6. In a method of forming on a full-fashioned knitting machine, a selvage on the loops of an end course of a fabric, the steps of feeding a thread to an end needle having a loop of the end course, knitting a loop of the thread in the loop of the end course, successively transferring from other needles the remaining loops of the end course to said end needle and successively knitting loops of said thread in said transferred loops of said end course by said end needle.

7. In a methodof forming on a full-fashioned knitting machine a selvage on theloops of an end course of a fabric, the steps of feeding a thread toa needle ha'ving a loop of the end course, knitting a loop of the thread in the loop of the and course, successively transferring in one direction the loops of the end course from other' needles to said first needle and successively knitting loops of the thread in the transferred loops of said end course by said first needle.

8. In a method of forming on a full-fashioned knitting machine a selvage on the loops of an end course of a fabric, the steps of feeding a thread to a needle having a loopof the end course,-knitting a loop of the thread in the loop of the end course, successively transferring the loops of the end course from other needles on one side of said first needle and successively knitting loops of said thread in said transferred loops of said end course by said first needle.

9. In a method of forming on a full-fashioned knitting machine a selvage on the loops of an end course of a fabric, the steps of. feeding a thread to a needle having a loop of the end course, transferring to another needle the loop of the end course on said first needle while said first needle holdssaid thread so as to draw a loop through the loop of the end course and successively transferring to said first needle and from said first needle the other loops of said end course on one side of said first needle while feeding said threadto said first needle so as to knit successive loops of said thread through successive loops of said end course.

10. In a method of forming on a full-fashioned knitting machine a selvage on the loops of an end course of a fabric, the steps of transferring the loops on alternate needles to adjacent needles in one direction, feeding'a' thread to a needle having loops of the end course, knitting a loop of the thread in the loops of the end course on the same needle, successively transferring the loops on the other needles on one side to the needle taking the thread and successively knitting loops of said thread in said transferred loops of the end course.

knitting machine a selvage on the loops of an end course of a fabric, the steps'of successively placing the loops of the end course upon a single needle of said machine and knitting successive loops of 'a stitch chain in successive loops of the end course.

v12. -A method of forming on a full-fashioned knitting machine aselvage on the loopsof an end course of a fabric comprising knitting successive loops of a stitch chain in adjacent loops of the end course on a single needle of said machine.

ERVIN S. SACHSENMAIER. 

